Page 13 of Almost Ravaged (Men of Evercrisp Orchard #1)
Cameron hums, looking thoughtful. “I don’t know who that is, but I wouldn’t, since I’m either here or in the sports admin building.” She nudges Kai in the side. “You’re a business major. Do you know a Professor Eden?”
Kai makes a noncommittal grunt but doesn’t look up. “Arrogant prick. Dresses like he knows how hot he is. Allegedly sleeps with students.”
With a hiss, Cameron shoves her friend. “Kai.”
Kai scoffs and finally looks up. “What?”
“You can’t say stuff like that. Sawyer just said he’s her new boss.”
Kai blinks at me, then zeroes in on Cameron. “I said allegedly .”
My heart plummets. The last thing I need is a douchey, predatory supervisor.
“Are you studying marketing?” Cameron asks, clearly trying to change the subject.
A humorless laugh escapes me. “No. I’m getting my master’s in library and information science. But there were only a couple of assistantships available by the time we decided on Holt, so I took what I could get.”
“We?” Kai asks.
I swallow past my newfound concern and nod. “My brother Atty and his best friend Tytus are freshmen.” I tip my chin toward the hockey rink. “They’re on the team this year.”
Cameron’s eyes double in size. “Davvies and Tremblay? Oh my god. I can’t believe you know them. Coach hasn’t stopped talking about them all summer.”
Relief washes over me. I may still be unsure about how this year will go for me, but at least the guys are off to a good start. “They’re really excited to be here. We all are.”
I tack on that last part mostly for myself. It’s a reminder that regardless of my new boss’s reputation, it’s important that I have a good attitude about this assistantship and everything else Holt has to offer.
Who knows, maybe Kai is exaggerating. Maybe the rumors are wrong. Maybe Professor Eden is ordinary-looking, civil, and professional.
And if he’s not ?
After all the shit I’ve been through, I can handle working with a skeevy, pompous academic. It’s only two years. The guys are right where they’re meant to be, and as long as I’m where they are, I’ll gladly endure just about anything.
“Sawyer?” Cameron says, the look of concern she’s sporting making me wonder if this isn’t the first time she’s said my name.
Cheeks heating, I swallow thickly and straighten. “Hmm?”
“If your brother grew up playing hockey, is it safe to assume you know how to skate?”
I frown. “Of course.”
“And you’re sure you’re not interested in a job?” she asks, waggling her perfectly arched brows.
I shake my head and unzip my bag. “GAs aren’t allowed to hold other jobs, and I’m here on a student visa.”
Cameron holds up a single finger and breaks into a knowing smile. “GAs aren’t allowed to have additional jobs off campus. We are allowed to have on-campus jobs in addition to our assistantships, as long as we work no more than twenty-eight hours per week.”
Kai snorts. “You sound like a walking student handbook.”
Cameron crosses her arms over her chest, giving Kai a look that would make me wither if it was aimed at me. “I’m in charge of hiring for the year, and the girl can skate , Kai.”
“Is that uncommon around here?” I shift, bringing my hands to my low back, and dig my knuckles into the tight knots around my tailbone. It’s going to take a few days to recover from our car ride, I fear.
“You have no idea,” Kai deadpans.
“I’d give you first pick of assignments on every shift,” Cameron says, her tone taking on an edge of desperation.
“Concessions. Open skate monitor. Skate rental counter. Or not, if you don’t like working with people.
You won’t have to sharpen a single skate or sell even a roll of hockey tape if you don’t want to. ”
I can’t help the smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. “I mean—”
“You’re going to be here a lot anyway, right?” she presses. “Might as well get paid. Look at us. We’re on the clock right now. Most days it’s quiet until afternoon practice and evening lessons start up.”
I guess I’m not opposed to the idea, even if I’ll have no trouble continuing to live off my inheritance while I work on my graduate degree. Cameron’s right. I’ll be here anyway. She and Kai seem cool, and I could stand to make a few friends .
“You’re sure it’s not against school policy?” I hedge. Naturally I’ll double-check on my own, but really, that’s my only hesitation.
Cameron grins. “Completely sure. I’ll send you a link to the policy right now.” She whips out her phone and unlocks the screen. “What’s your number?”
I rattle it off, and when my own device vibrates in my back pocket, I pull it out.
“There,” she declares, her eyes alight with triumph. “I texted you, added you to the group chat Kai, Skylar—our other roommate—and I mostly use to communicate, and added you to the Shrinky Dink Rink Crew Group Chat.”
My phone vibrates again, then again, buzzing with each new notification.
Good grief.
I couldn’t have imagined an encounter like this if I’d tried, especially within hours of arriving at Holt. But when I look back up, both Cameron and Kai are watching me expectantly.
Swallowing past the sense of unease that always accompanies change, I smile back at them. “Okay. What do I have to do for open interviews?”
Kai shakes with laughter and peers over at Cameron.
“Not a single thing,” Cameron says. “I’m in charge of hiring, and this was your interview. Welcome to the crew, Sawyer Davvies.”